I don't know if it's an either/or. There's an honesty in the struggle of this album that makes it pretty powerful. If there was a redemption arc maybe it would feel just as powerful? I do love the different facets the album explores - from the violence of Car Crash, to the gutter of King Snake, to emotional exhaustion of Beachland Ballroom. For concerning itself with a single subject, for the most part, the album transports you to so many different times, places, and feelings.